Drawn Upon My Heart
by artemisfae
Summary: Liz gets settled in to her new apartment, but is quickly bored. She decides that some art is exactly what she needs only Red interrupts her. AU. Total Lizzington. Rated M for eventual sexy times.


**A/N: Hello! I have been absent awhile and while I realize I have a WIP, I had to get the first part of this fic out. The second part will be posted within 48hrs…swear. This is 100% Lizzington, as usual so if that's not your cuppa, don't take a drink. This fic was inspired by my fellow Gutter bugs, so this is for them. That being said, I hope you enjoy this funny/fluffy/sexy/smutty/silly beast that was originally a one shot, but is now a 2 part fic…so far. This diverges from canon, so I'll state it as AU.**

 **Chapter 1**

Moving was usually a difficult, tedious affair that took months to complete. Some of the boxes that Liz had retrieved from her storage unit hadn't even been opened when she'd moved in with Tom.

However, this time, her move was a cathartic release of the chaos that had become her life these past months. She felt nothing but serenity in the knowledge that this was her new home. No more seedy hotels and safe houses.

Contrary to the belief of some, Liz was not stupid. She knew exactly the reason her landlord had been so quick to change her mind and rent her the apartment. It certainly wasn't out of the goodness of her heart.

No, this had Raymond Reddington written all over it.

Liz hefted a particularly heavy box of flatware into the kitchen and pondered exactly what she was going to do about him.

No good would come from dwelling on thoughts of Red, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but think of him.

During their time away, he quickly became the center of her universe. So quickly that Liz was alarmed, but only because of how little her thoughts were of the fact that he had literally saved her over and over again.

Unfortunately, her thoughts continuously focused on his intense gaze, the cut glass and gravel of his voice, the cut of his suits.

She had it bad and she knew it.

Red Reddington was an animal of the likes she'd never known before two and a half years ago and once he waltzed out of her life, she never would again. While on the run, their proximity gave was to a new familiarity and her fondness grew into the realization that she would sell her soul to try.

Another fact that she was well aware of was the fact that he would never want anything permanent relationship with her. Their lives, especially his were too unstable, too dangerous, and his need to protect her too great to overcome. He had no desire to add a permanent pressure point, a means of exploitation, which is all she would be.

He knew her far too well. But he also believed that inside of her lived an inherent goodness that he lacked.

She snorted softly to herself. It was a load of shit and she knew it. Oh, she knew he was capable of ruthlessness, but his capacity for caring was greater than anyone she'd ever encountered.

She wanted to peel away his layers and see Red as no one else did.

Shaking the thoughts away with a physical jerk of her head, she looked around her kitchen and realized that she was done. Her boxes were empty and waiting to go out to recycling, her belongings in their proper places.

Well that was one way to unpack an apartment. Hopelessly daydreaming about her attractive work partner was the key to productivity, it seemed.

The pang in her chest told her that, while productive, mooning over Raymond Reddington would lead to nothing but a broken heart.

But to leave feelings out of the equation? Would that be her proverbial ticket to ride? Would Red be interested in an affair classified as convenient, casual?

She'd bring it up to him the next time she saw him alone. The worst he could say is no. Sure, it may be embarrassing, awkward even, but they were irrevocably linked in this chapter of their lives, and she certainly couldn't see him running screaming into the night. Which she may or may not be willing to pay money to see.

A heavy sigh accompanied her to the sitting room, where she indelicately flopped into the welcoming fluff of her sofa. She reached for the remote and spent the next ten minutes searching in vain for a television show that wasn't political or reality television.

She gave up and moved to her desk in the corner. She was bored and knew that although this was a bad idea, it would kill time and bring back memories of when she was a teenager, killing time in school and messing around with her friends.

Liz had dermatographia. Nothing serious, just when she drew on herself with a pen, her skin would become inflamed and redden wherever she drew. It didn't hurt and only lasted for about an hour or so, sometimes longer.

She was already only wearing shorts and a tank top and had no plans to leave anytime soon, so she felt safe enough to take a package of gel pens out and go crazy.

Soon enough, rainbow metallic flowers, vines, and squiggly marks covered her arms, legs, and even the tops of her breasts because hearts were cute and why not. She had nothing else to do until her meeting with Cooper and Ressler tomorrow and the evidence of her whimsical drawings would be long gone.

The shrill ring of her doorbell brought a frown to her face but she was certain it was a neighbor or someone wanting to peddle a new cable provider. If she was lucky, it would be a girl scout, because cookies would definitely hit the spot.

She grabber her robe off the hook on her bedroom door and rushed to answer before whomever it was left.

She jerked open the door with a smile.

"Hello, Lizzie. I thought you'd be bored and I brought you a housewarming gift to celebrate."

The bottle of wine was self explanatory and brought with it the regret that she didn't share the last bottle that he gave her with him.

Her smile froze in place as she frantically searched for a reason for him to go away for maybe an hour.

"Hey Red, I was just getting ready to hop in the shower..." She let her sentence die off in hoped that his unflinching sense of etiquette would save her.

His eyes ran up her body from head to toe with an appraising look. She barely suppressed a shiver. Did he just lick his lips? He had the look of a predator that just scented his prey.

Any other time, she would be more than ready to start this…whatever it was. But right now she looked like a clown with a tattoo addiction and she could not let him see her like this.

He knew about the dermatographia. He has probably never seen evidence of it though.

Would he mock her for acting so childish? She had hearts on her chest for crying out loud.

"Well I'll just wait until you're done. I'm sure that I can wait a few minutes. This wine is delicious and we need to talk."

She knew that nothing would talk Red out of his game plan, so she happily escaped to the bathroom to wash off the evidence of her boredom.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the kitchen refreshed and resolved. The raised skin was still a very deep shade of red, but there was nothing she could do until it faded away on its own.

When she dressed, she just threw on lounge shorts and a new tank top. She included her robe for good measure, but didn't belt it as tightly as she could have.

Red was never going to see her as a desirable woman, so she may as well own it. He'd know immediately that she was trying to hide something anyway.

His back was to her and he was bent over slightly, looking in her refrigerator. As she caught sight of his backside hugged to perfectly in his tailored slacks, she almost drooled. She brought her hand up to her face just to make sure she wasn't.

Red Reddington in a suit was unparalleled and was a starring role in her every fantasy. Too bad it would go no further than that.

He turned quickly upon hearing her enter the space. His trademarked grin at the ready and just for her.

"Lizzie, I was looking for…What happened to your arms? If you're having a reaction to something we need to go now, I can have Mr. Kaplan meet us-"His smile quickly changed to concern. She fought a smile at how protective he was.

"No! Red It's fine. I'm fine. I was bored and was doodling on myself. It's no big deal and it will be gone soon."

His voice was flat, his face a study in disbelief "You scratched your skin because you were bored." It was a statement. One that implied that he was measuring her for a straight jacket as he once again eyed her from head to toe. This time, there was no heat in his gaze, just a determination to help.

"It's the dermatographia. Red, it's fine. It will be gone in an hour or so. And no I absolutely did not carve the designs into my skin…I drew them with gel pen."

"Gel pen?" His confusion was evident in every line of his face.

"Yes Red, gel pen. Not my most mature moment, I'll admit, but I was having fun with it. Wait. How do you not know about the dermatographia? You know everything."

He smirked a little at her last statement, but quickly frowned again. "Your file states that you outgrew it as a teen."

Her smile was rueful "No, that was just when I stopped drawing all over myself…until today that is."

Red grunted, clearly unhappy that he wasn't aware of something that pertained directly to her. "So you drew all over yourself?

"Well, where I could reach." She said with a depreciating smile. He was going to end up having her committed.

When she finally glanced back at him, he'd moved a step closer to where she stood at the counter. The heat had returned to his eyes, with interest.

"You had considerable artistic talent in the past, may I see it?"

Her breath caught. He'd seen her many times in various stages of dress, but never had he been looking at her as if she were the first glass of water offered to a man who'd just spent a few days in stranded in the desert.

"Sure, I mean, they are just silly doodles, I hope you're not expecting Renoir quality work." She stated with a laugh as she moved back into the sitting room.

Red followed close enough that she could feel the air shift around them, unless she was imagining things.

Shamelessly and without any warning, she turned towards him and dropped her robe, her body nearly covered in red designs. If he wanted it, she'd give it to him. All she felt was relief that he wouldn't be turning her down.

His jaw opened against his will as he stared unabashedly at her body. She knew that her nipples puckered under his gaze, but she couldn't bring herself to care. This is what she has wanted so badly. It felt like Christmas and her birthday all rolled into one glorious Red package.

"You can have a closer look, if you'd like." Her voice was lower, her desire no longer something she could hide.

He licked his lips again "I'd like to trace the lines, follow them from start to finish…with my tongue.

This time she couldn't contain her shiver of excitement or her whimper. She felt as if she were going to hyperventilate. _This is actually going to happen. Right here, right now._

He hadn't even touched her yet and she was a simpering mass of nerve endings. She ground her legs together under the guise of shifting position, anything to calm the arousal that was liquid fire in her veins.

The smile in his eyes told her that he knew exactly what effect he was having on her. He stepped towards her and crowded her into the sofa until the back of her knees hit and she abruptly sat down.

First she thought that he had just desired a position of power, a show of dominance, but then he dropped to his knees in front of her.

She widened her legs so that he could fit comfortably between them. Images, both dirty and sweet, rolled through her mind at the position he settled into.

Never taking his eyes off her face, he took her hand in his, lifted his arm to his lips. When his lips finally made contact with her wrist, they both moaned softly with pleasure.

With great care, Red trailed half a dozen chaste kissed from her wrist to her elbow. Her skin burned with every feather light touch.

Her pulse was pounding in her ears as he said "Are you sure it doesn't hurt? It's so inflamed…so red." His voice was completely proprietary as if the color was his personal brand of ownership.

She didn't reply so he continued "I just find it difficult to believe that it doesn't cause you discomfort."

Liz swallowed thickly. She could barely think, let alone speak, but if she didn't he might stop and that was not allowed to happen.

"No…um…I'm fine. No pain."

With less than ten chaste kisses, Red had morphed her into a monosyllabic imbecile. He would surely leave to find more stimulating company at this rate.

She turned her head away form him in disgust. What had possessed her to believe that she could do this, seduce Red Reddington?"

He caught her chin gently, his fingers moved to cup her jaw. Simultaneously lowering his own head closer while turning hers back towards him, he ensured the very eye-contact that she was attempting to avoid,

He saw so much of her. Would he be able to discern that her desire went deeper than flesh and bone?

Looking into his eyes, she was shocked to see doubt and…fear, warring with his desire.

"I want this. I want you…us. I just hope I'm…enough." Her breaths were coming faster, her words still short. He was letting their past cloud this. He was pulling away.

No, he couldn't leave her like this. So she offered him an easy out from a relationship. "I'm not asking for you to marry me. We are constantly in each other's company. There's no reason we can't utilize our proximity. We can run with it. Have fun. You like fun. We have already established that together-us that is- is what works. This can be just one more element of that partnership."

She snapped her mouth shut and ground her molars together. She was ruining this with her big mouth. Sounding like a desperate fool was not her intention, but with the spiel she just finished, she was sure that ship had sailed.

She blew her hair out of her face as she waited for him to reply. She was done speaking.

He looked concerned, but the desire never left his gaze once. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused, looking around the room before once again making eye contact.

"Lizzie…yes. We can 'utilize our proximity' as you said. For as long as you'd like. But first, I'd like to move this to the bedroom. I need to get you comfortable."

She turned and led the way, making sure to put a seductive extra swing to her hips to ensure Red followed quickly.

She needn't have worried because he was right behind her grinning, eyes alight with happiness.

"I'm rather looking forward to this. I've never licked a unicorn before." He snarked as he wrapped his hand around to her upper thigh where indeed rested a raised red unicorn.

Her laughter echoed through the apartment as they shut the bedroom door behind them.

Tbc…

 **It's been awhile since I've written or posted anything, so please let me know what you think. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You guys are the best.**


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